Among the reasons that the iPhone 4 was such a thin and compact device was its use of the microSIM – a version of the standard SIM card shrunk to half the normal size. A new, even smaller advance in SIM technology could enable Apple to make the iPhone 5 even thinner.
GigaOM reports that the “nano-SIM” standard has been proposed by Glesecke & Devrient, the company who originally created the SIM card. The proposed standard is a full third smaller than even the MicroSIM, and is even 15% thinner, making it an exciting possible option for thinner devices in the future. The new standard is also fully compatible with either the microSIM or the full-sized SIM using a simple adapter.
In continuing to reduce the size of the iPhone’s internal components, the “nano-SIM” is something that might be right up Apple’s alley. Every millimeter counts in today’s mobile devices, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see something like this make its way into next-generation iOS devices.